Fixerguy's Common Sense

Kris Rosvold shared an answer on Quora with you

Here’s why we have a war on drugs:
Drugs and the plants they are produced from interfere with the profits of national and international corporations; AND the war on drugs is a profit center for government.

Here’s how they interfere with profits: Folks who are calm, relaxed, and “allowed” to self medicate (as some 30%-50% of the population do) buy less alcohol, go to the doctor less often, and take fewer prescription drugs.

Hemp provides:
Fabric that is softer, stronger and more rot resistant than cotton with less energy inputs (its a WEED and will grow almost anywhere with a minimum of care.
This threatens King Cotton

Pulp for paper which is cheaper, stronger, and of substantially better quality than wood pulp paper.
This threatens both the Big Timber and Big Chemical industries.

Rope that has the proper stretch ratio, strength, resistance to rot, for marine use, and is a renewable resource.
This threatens Big Oil

Cooking oils which are medium to high temperature, and have LOTS of compounds which our bodies find useful for resisting disease.
This threatens Big Agriculture

Antidepressant drugs which are relatively (compared to prescription drugs) non toxic… AND have almost no ability to cause flash depressions which can result in suicide (unlike most prescription drugs for depression). With a modicum of use it’s also easier to control dosages to suit the individual patient. Worse yet, it’s a weed and can be grown by any idiot with a little dirt and a watering can.
This threatens the truly MASSIVE profits of the Big Pharma industry Caution is advised in teens and young adults, but that’s true of ANY drug… and even more true of Big Pharma drugs

It is a recreational intoxicant which is almost harmless when compared to alcohol… how many times have you ever heard of someone dying because they were too stoned?
This threatens the beer, wine and booze industries.

Folks who self medicate do not go to doctors or hospitals as much.
This threatens the Medical industry and their massive profits

They also don’t rob liquor stores for a little cash to score.
This threateans the Prison industry, and their MASSIVE profits.

Legalization would threaten the profits of the prison industry which thrives on the incarceration of folks whose only “crime” might be one of harming themselves were it not for artificial “standards” of prohibition imposed by the Federal government. (According to USDOC some +30% of ALL inmates (as of 2011) are directly drug related; meaning the crimes of trafficking, sales, and use… NONE of which would be a crime under any reasonable standard of justice (that the activity causes harm to those not participating willingly).

Since these laws are more harshly administered to the poor and minorities, they also give government an apparently “reasonable” excuse to remove these folks from society, it also allows these folks to be put in long term probation which is a great way to “teach” both compliance and fear of the law (no matter how ridiculous the law is).

Profit center for local government: the billions in personal property confiscated under fiat drug laws, Sold off and used to support government. The hundreds of millions provided to the local government by the feds to pay for their fiat war.

Next to last, the government agency which has so very conveniently “declared” that marijuana is a Class 3 Drug (means: No known medical uses and not usable for research) has a US patent on *ghasp* “The medical uses of marijuana”!

This one Fact gives the lie to every single “justificstion” given for their prosecution of the War in Drugs.

Last but not least, I was in high school when Ms. Nancy announced her vaunted War on Drugs because some “28% of high school students admitted to trying drugs.”

What we said at the time: “SNORKLE! (Snort, cough, chuckle) yea, that’s gonna work!

Now… some 35 years and trillions if not tens if trillions (considering the human cost) of WASTED dollars later the rate is +33% as of 2012.